


who-thneed-ma-ville

by mimetime



Category: Horton Hears a Who! - Dr. Seuss, The Lorax (2012)
Genre: Aged Down Once-ler, Aged Up Jojo, Alternate Universe, Crossover, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Horton hasn't heard a Who yet, Jojo hates his dad, Jojo talks, Once-ler hates his mom, The Lorax hasn't been summoned yet, Verbal Abuse, both chars are teens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:34:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27201191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mimetime/pseuds/mimetime
Summary: The Once-ler and Jojo meet and become friends :)>> TW!! some serious topics surrounding abuse & neglect are covered>> mild language every now and thenupdated jan 18; unfinished
Relationships: The Once-ler (The Lorax) & Jojo McDodd (Horton Hears a Who!)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 9





	who-thneed-ma-ville

"I hate you!" Jojo yelled before slamming the front door with all his might and stomping off. 

"I hate you..." the Once-ler whispered before speeding off on the back of his mule. 

Neither of the boys really knew where they were headed; they just knew they wanted to be far, far away from their parents right now. 

Jojo's fight with his dad started with their usual bickering. Mayor McDodd was saying his usual Mayor McDodd things, pushing his son to become a great mayor like the other men in the McDodd family. 

Of course, his dad didn't quite appreciate it when Jojo suggested that maybe he didn't want to be some _crappy_ mayor like him. He didn't mean it like that, he really didn't, but it still shocked Mayor McDodd. 

"Son!" he had cried. "Son, you don't know what you're talking about! There is no better job in this whole _world_ than being a mayor. Trust me, once you get older, you'll come around. I know you'll love this job, I _know_ you'll make a great mayor--" 

"I'm NOT going to BE A _MAYOR_!" Jojo had shouted, whipping around to look his dad in the eye. "NEVER, EVER!" 

And like that, Jojo was out the door while Mayor McDodd stood there, wide-eyed with his jaw on the floor. 

The Once-ler's fight with his mom started in an argument, too. As usual, she was going on about how he was such a failure, and such a disappointment to the family. 

"You'll never amount to anything, sweetie," she had stated in a tone you'd use for a compliment. 

"Well, what about you?" the Once-ler finally snapped, done with hearing these insults every day. 

"Excuse me?" 

"W-What have _you_ done that's so great? All I've ever seen you do is sit around smoking!" 

"How _dare_ you speak to me like that," his mother had snarled, and somehow, all that confidence disappeared into thin air. 

When she stood with anger in her eyes, he flinched away. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't--" 

"Get out. Leave and don't come back until you've learned some damn respect. GET OUT! _NOW_!" 

The Once-ler nearly jumped out of his skin when his mother screamed that way, and he quickly turned tail and fled. 

So that's how this day began: sun shining, a blue sky.

A _terrible_ day. 

Both boys could feel tears welling at their eyes as they ventured away from their homes. They felt so unheard, so uncared for, unimportant. Did their parents even care about them at all? 

That's when they ran into each other. Literally. The Once-ler was so distracted that he led Marvin straight into Jojo, and Jojo was so distracted he hadn't noticed the mule or the boy until he fell back onto the dirt. 

"Hey, what gives?!" Jojo shouted, but his voice quivered with emotion and made it sound a lot less tough. 

"Sorry!" the Once-ler gasped, hopping off Marvin and wiping at his eyes. "I-I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to do that." 

He offered him his hand, which was rejected as Jojo hoisted himself up without the help of the Once-ler. Now the boys just stood awkwardly in front of one another, avoiding eye contact with their obviously puffy eyes. 

"Ugh, _fine_! I guess I have to do it," Jojo said after a moment of silence. "You're obviously upset. What happened?" 

"O-Oh," the Once-ler replied, "I don't want to bother you, sorry, I just... It's nothing--" 

"Come on, I'm trying to be nice." 

Jojo spotted a patch of grass and nodded for the Once-ler to follow him. He plopped down onto the grass and was hesitantly followed by the other teen, who cautiously seated himself. 

"It's my mom," he said, "we got into a fight." 

"Really?" Jojo pried. "My dad and I just got into a fight..." 

"Oh, really? Uh, what about?" 

"...You first." 

The Once-ler blushed, not wanting to open up about his mom's mistreatment to a total stranger. Maybe he'll tweak the story just a little. 

"Uh, well... It really wasn't that big of a deal, y'know... She's just pestering me a lot, to do a bunch of chores and get a job.. and all that." 

"I get that. My dad's doing the same thing. He's always trying to get me to wanna be the next mayor, but I think he's a doofus... with a doofus job." 

"Your dad's the mayor? Mayor McDodd?" 

Jojo shot him a glare. Okay. Not the time. 

"Sorry! Uh... Well, if you don't wanna be mayor then... what _do_ you wanna be?" 

That was the first time _anyone_ had asked Jojo that question. Everyone always assumed he would want to be mayor. He was caught totally off-guard but he already knew the answer. 

"A musician!" Jojo exclaimed, lighting up. " _Anything_ with music: a band member, a conductor, a musical instructor. I just want to do music." 

"I like music too!" said the Once-ler with a grin. "Wait, gimme a sec. Melvin!" 

He saw his mule grazing on some grass and motioned him over, though he just continued grazing. The Once-ler huffed and went up to him instead, unstrapping something from his back and returning to his seat next to Jojo. 

"A guitar!" Jojo said. "Do you know how to play it?! I've always wanted to play the guitar, but my dad says lessons are a waste of time." 

"Yeah, I know how to play it!" 

He strummed out a little tune, as if to prove himself. 

"Any song requests?" he asked Jojo. 

"Ooh! You know any Nirvana songs?" 

"Hell yeah, I do!" he said, immediately starting to play his favorite song. 

Jojo perked up and grinned wide. He recognized the tune immediately. 

"Aw yeah, Lithium is my fav!" 

When the lyrics came, they both belted them out with reckless joy. Somehow they both ended up dancing around, yelling the words out into the vastness of the forest. 

Once the song came to an end, they chuckled together and shared a fist-bump. 

"So cool," Jojo said. "you _really_ know how to play that thing." 

"Thanks, bud" the Once-ler said, "you can really sing! I bet you'd pick up guitar playing in no time." 

"You think? Well maybe... Maybe you could show me some of the basics?" 

"Of course!" 

He lifted the guitar and strapped it around Jojo instead. 

"Alright, hold it like this," he said, positioning Jojo's arms correctly, "and take this pick"--he handed him a guitar pick from his back pocket--"and just run it through the strings!" 

Jojo did as the Once-ler explained, and made a strumming sound on the guitar. He got a gleeful smile on his face and did it the opposite way, playing the sound in reverse. 

"Perfect. Now, press your fingers on the chords from the top and try again." 

The guitar played a different sound. 

"Whoa..." Jojo whispered. 

"You've got it! Now all you've gotta do is know which notes to play." 

The Once-ler showed Jojo how to play each individual note, then showed him.the order of the notes in the song Happy Birthday to You. 

"Hap... py Birthday t... to? You..." Jojo muttered as he tried to play the song. 

"Happy... Birthday to... You!" repeated the Once-ler while the melody came. 

"Happy Birthday," said Jojo, strumming it out. 

"Happy Birthday.." 

"Happy Birthday to You!" they said in unison as the song finished. 

"Haha, that was great!" said the Once-ler. "All it'll take is some practice, and you'll be rocking out big hits in no time!" 

"Thank you, Mr... Um.. You know, I don't think you've told me your name," Jojo realized. handing the Once-ler his guitar. 

"Huh, you're right! Well, my name's Once-ler. And you are...?" 

"Jojo," he said, shaking the Once-ler's hand. "Nice to meet you, Once-ler." 

"JOJO!" a voice called from a ways away. 

Both boys jumped, immediately taken out of the moment. Only now did they realize that they'd been out here so long that the sun was just about to set. 

"Aw jeez, that's my dad." 

"JOJOOO!" 

"I should get going... but meet me here again tomorrow, yeah?" 

"Sounds good," said the Once-ler, waving his new friend goodbye. He hopped up onto Marvin and went on his way home as well. 

"Oh, Jojo!" Mayor McDodd said, his chest puffing while he tried to catch his breath. His son's good mood quickly disappeared. "There you are! Where have you been?" 

"Psh, nowhere," scoffed the teen. "Isn't it dinnertime? Why are you here?" 

"We got to your turn, but you weren't there!" his dad said in disbelief, urging Jojo on his way home. "C'mon, it'll be bedtime by the time we're back." 

The boy swatted at his dad and walked beside him instead. The mayor was spot on about his prediction. As soon as he opened the door-- 

"DADDYYY!" 

"Tuck me in!" 

"Tell me a story!" 

"Give me a hug!" 

Mayor McDodd laughed to himself, rubbing at his own tired eyes before sending Jojo to bed. The rest of the kids followed, and everyone was sound asleep by 9 PM exactly. 

Ned McDodd yawned, stretching out and grimacing at the sound of his cracking bones. He slipped into the bedroom he shared with his wife and layed beside her sleeping form. 

"Hmm, the kids asleep?" she asked groggily, one eye half-opening. 

"Everyone's accounted for," he said with a smile before cuddling up against Sally. 

"Goodnight, dear," she said. 

"Goodnight, dear," he said, and they fell asleep. 

When the Once-ler returned home, he was greeted with a locked door. He groaned and started looking around for the spare key. Between six household members, it was moved around quite a bit. 

After some searching, he discovered it on a high trim of the house. He figured his mom must've been the one to leave it there, since she was the only one--apart from himself--who could reach that high. He grabbed the key and slipped it into the door, carefully turning the knob as to not make any noise. He placed the key underneath the front mat and went in, re-locking the door behind him. 

The Once-ler stood silently in the doorway for a moment, straining his ears for any sound. He heard some snoring, some creaking, and one TV quietly playing some game show in the living room. He sighed, growing nervous. 

There was no knowing who was in the living room. It could be his mom, having a smoke before bed. Or it could be Uncle Ubb, passed out on the couch. Same could go for Aunt Grizelda, though he ruled her out because she usually snored as loud as a bear. He ruled out Brett and Chet, too, because they'd usually be watching football or cartoons, not game shows. 

The Once-ler took a deep breath in. That's either his mom or his uncle, and very different things will happen tonight based on which. But he had to move past the living room to reach his bedroom. There was no where else for him to stay, and there was no other way to get there. 

He gripped onto the strap of his guitar, trying to get the confidence to pass by. He began tip-toeing down his path, avoiding any creaky tiles. When he reached the living room, glowering from the TV screen, he slowly looked around the corner to see if he could see anyone from the back of the couch. 

"Huh?" he whispered. No one seemed to be there. The Once-ler stood straighter and saw that the couch was most definitely empty. That must mean they're in the restroom. He quickly went on his way to his bedroom, located across from the restroom in their twisty hallway. 

He heard the toilet flush and got right into his room, shutting the door behind him just slightly too roughly. 

"Oncie?" 

The Once-ler frowned, gently letting go of his doorknob. He sped to hop into a sleeping position, and stayed still like that. He heard his door creak open, and someone sat by him in bed. 

"Oh, sweetheart..." his mother said, speech slurred. He kept on pretending he was asleep, a pit growing in his stomach when he realized she was drunk. 

She ran her hand through his hair, whispering, "Youuu... You understand, right...? Why I have to be so harsh..." 

The Once-ler squeezed his eyes shut tight, but he couldn't help the change in his facial expression. He opened them to peek up at his mom. She stared back down at him, hands running through his soft locks of black hair. 

"You need someone... to guide you... to show you how things are. _That's_ why I do this. I care about you." 

The Once-ler noticed she was crying. He watched silently, trying not to tear up. He didn't believe her. He couldn't. She was always telling him how worthless he was, how she wished she hadn't ever had him. And he knew that wasn't for his own good at all. 

Still, when his mother leaned down to give him a gentle kiss on the forehead, a tear slipped across his face. He sniffled and tried to hide his face away. 

His mom gave him a few pats before standing up and leaving him, curled up with those headaches you get when you're trying to hold in tears. He buried his face into his pillow and tried to fall asleep. 

The next morning, Ned McDodd jolted awake to the sound of his alarm. 

"Ughhh," he and his wife both groaned. 

"Okay..." sighed Ned, cancelling the alarm. He hopped out of bed and got ready for his day while Sally went to get breakfast ready. 

About an hour later, the whole family sat together for breakfast, simultaneously prepping for their activities that day. It was Jojo's turn to talk to his dad. 

"Jojo!" Ned exclaimed with his goofy smile. "My son... Um.. I know yesterday was a little rocky but... You know, a fight between father and son, that's-that's big! It just means you're growing into a strong, opinionated young man, and--" 

_DING!_ Next kid's turn. Jojo's chair was swept away and replaced by two bickering sisters. They'd be here a while, then it's off to work for Mayor McDodd. 

All of Jojo's days began like this, and then he'd go to school. But today will be different. He spent a lot of time thinking last night, thinking about his dad and the Once-ler and just... his life in general. And that posed a question: how much of this was Jojo willing to put up with? 

His answer was about 15 years, and _he_ was about 15 years old. Something had to change. 

So that day, instead of going into school when the bus dropped him off, he snuck away and went on his way toward his new meeting place with the Once-ler. 

The Once-ler woke up to an alarm set for 5 AM. He shook awake and turned it off after the first beep, not wanting to wake any of the others. He had to be gone before anyone else was awake. 

He was determined to see his new friend again today, his very first friend. He wouldn't let anyone else know about Jojo. His mother wouldn't be happy about it at all, and he just knows she would make sure they would never see each other again. 

Nobody else would wake up for at least a few hours, and the Once-ler doubted anyone would notice he was missing anyway. If he wasn't seen, everyone pretty much just forgot about him. 

So this was the everyday rule here: do it without getting caught or get yelled at for doing it, whatever it was. This was a part of living for everyone in the house, and they had all adapted to it in their own ways. Sometimes the Once-ler felt guilty for even existing at all. 

And every night in that household, the question arises: How much of this could the Once-ler handle? 

He wasn't truthfully sure. But it's been 16 years of this and he knew something had to change. He _needed_ something to change. 

So he snuck silently out of the house and went on his way into the forest to wait at his new meeting place with Jojo. 

The Once-ler arrived first. He figured it may be a while before the Jojo comes by, but he felt in his heart that he would. And he felt that it would be worth the wait. So he waited. 

Turns out his heart was correct, as Jojo appeared no more than 2 hours later. It wasn't such a long wait, since the Once-ler brought his guitar along for entertainment. 

He was strumming out a song when he heard footsteps crunching through leaves and sticks on the forest floor. His song halted, and he whipped his head around to see what was there. A grin of relief spread wide across his face when he saw it was Jojo. 

"Once-ler! I'm glad you're here," said the younger of the two boys. 

"Hey! It's great to see you, too." 

"And you brought your guitar!" 

"Sure did," the Once-ler said, propping up the instrument to offer it to Jojo. "Wanna pick up where we left off?" 

"Hell yeah!" He grabbed the guitar excitedly, putting it into the holding position the Once-ler had shown him. 

"Good stance, but you gotta turn it around the other way." 

"Oh..." Jojo said, blushing a bit. Silly mistake, but it only took a second to fix. 

"Alright! Let's get to work." 

They worked on it until Jojo could play a few beginners songs on the guitar by memory. By then, it was past noon. That's when the Once-ler's stomach growled loud enough for them to both hear. Jojo brows raised in surprise. 

"Dude, are you hungry?" 

"Ah, sorry about that! I'll be alright, no need to worry..." 

"Nuh-uh," said Jojo, setting the guitar down gently. He grabbed his backpack and zipped it open. Out came a brown paper bag, and he handed it to the Once-ler. 

"Take this. My dad always packs me these dumb lunches for school, it's so embarrassing." 

"Oh... Thank you. But what's that... School?" 

"Huh? School. Like, with teachers and stuff." 

The Once-ler cocked his head in confusion, holding up the bag by the top in two hands. 

"Have... Have you never been to school?" 

"I-I guess not," answered the Once-ler. 

"Dude!" Jojo yelled, and the taller boy flinched slightly. "That is _so cool_! I wish I didn't have to go. It blows! You just sit there for like, eight hours while old people say stuff and you write it down. Then you go home and write about what you wrote about in class." 

"What in the world... That sounds horrible!" 

"It is!" 

They chuckled together as the Once-ler opened the paper bag and looked in. There was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in a plastic bag, a green apple, and a brownie wrapped in stretchy plastic. 

"What's this?" asked the Once-ler, lifting a little note out of the bag. It was snatched out of his hand before he got to read it. 

"Ugh, my dad always writes some cheesy crap on these." He crumpled it up and tossed it behind. The Once-ler shrugged and took out the brownie. 

"And what's this?" he asked. 

"Um, a brownie.." The Once-ler gave him the same blank look as earlier. "No _way_ , you've never had a brownie?!" 

"Well... No, but I've heard of it. My mom buys them sometimes, but we're not allowed to eat them." 

"Who's we?" 

"Oh, me and my brothers, Brett and Chet." 

"Huh. I have some siblings too..." Biggest understatement of the century, as Jojo had _96_ sisters. 

"Is it really okay for me to eat your lunch? If you want it, you can--" 

"Once-ler," Jojo interrupted. "Just eat it, it's fine." 

"...Okay. Thank you, Jojo." 

They sat together while the Once-ler ate the meal. He tried to be polite with it, but truth was, he hadn't eaten in a while. It's not a meal were waiting for him on the table when he got home last night, that's never the case. He really just survives on sneaking leftovers whenever he can. He figured it was awfully nice of Ted's dad to prepare him lunch like this, but what did he know anyway? 

Jojo went on ranting about school and deserts and music while the Once-ler ate, and he couldn't help but smile. He'd never eaten with someone before. It was really nice to have company. 

The thin plastic covering the brownie crinkled when he got to it, and he carefully unwrapped it, throwing the wrapper into the paper bag with the other plastic bag and the apple core. He wasn't sure about this. His mom never let him have sweets, so this almost felt like a crime. But the chocolate deliciousness of the brownie called for him, and he took a bite into it. 

The Once-ler lit up. It was delightful! It was sweet and chewy and savory and... gone. He had scarfed the rest down right away. 

"Whoa!" Jojo chuckled lightheartedly. The Once-ler blushed slightly, grabbing a napkin out of the bag to wipe the crumbs from his face. Jojo consulted his backpack, taking out a water bottle and handing it to the Once-ler. "Here, you can never have a brownie without something to wash it down." 

"Thanks so much," the Once-ler said, taking the water and gulping it down more than halfway. He sighed in bliss and stretched, patting his stomach lightly. "You're such a nice person, Jojo." 

"Ah, it's nothing," Jojo huffed while he rubbed at his arm, feeling unworthy of that much praise. Little did he know nobody had ever shown the Once-ler so much kindness, or so much respect. In reality, the Once-ler hadn't really formed any relationships with anyone outside of his family, so this kind of treatment was brand new to him. He could definitely get used to it. 

>> this'll be finished sometime :3 


End file.
